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A review by baasanka
Preacher, Volume 4: Ancient History by Garth Ennis
3.0
I'm going to review the 'Saint of the Killers' - that's the longest and perhaps the most memorable story of the three. It's 6am, I haven't slept all night because of insomnia, so I've had some time to think this story over - and I have a lot of opinions.
The narrative style varies widely throughout the 4 issues, going from depressingly gloom and serious to silly and humorous and back. Predictably, these things do not mesh together well, at least when crammed together into 4 short issues. At times everything just feels awkward and disjointed.
The story is, admittedly, pretty cliché, which is okay - it's supposed to be a legend retold times over, even though readers are expected to hold it for truth. Mysterious religious and mythical characters can have a bit of leeway. Coupled with the right tone and pacing, this all could've made a solid backstory. But no, that's not what happened.
The first half or so of the special was great - I wasn't convinced that a Western with a murderer turning into the Angel of Death was going to work out, but I was quickly shown that this premise has potential. Then things started turning south - both for our main hero and myself as the reader.
I loved the portrayal of the Devil and the Angel of Death. The Devil in Preacher is how I imagine Hellboy if he were evil - bored in hell, frustrated at losing a poker game, making banter. Contrary to Hellboy, however, our Devil is perhaps not very bright and, for some reason, VERY easily killable.
I could buy that a guy angry about his family's death could have been so mad that he made hell freeze over seemingly for the first time ever - even though before him millions must have had their families die, and at least one of them must have been almost/just as murderous if not more. What I don't buy is the devil then getting upset and talking and behaving like a frustrated child. Furthermore, our dear Lord Satan is then killed by the annoyed/insulted murderer. With a pistol. For good (as it's implied). Mind you, this is the same pistol with magical never-ending bullets that was fired into Cassidy in an earlier issue. Our friendly neighborhood vampire is alive and completely regenerated, so go figure - the Devil can't do something a 97y.o. vampire does in no time at all.
I understand that humour often compliments dark fantasies, and perhaps this contrast of violent and unfair earth vs. the silly scared rulers of hell is meant to highlight the brutality of the Saint of the Killers, but it only achieves in making the story seem flimsy and awkward. Disappointing.
The narrative style varies widely throughout the 4 issues, going from depressingly gloom and serious to silly and humorous and back. Predictably, these things do not mesh together well, at least when crammed together into 4 short issues. At times everything just feels awkward and disjointed.
The story is, admittedly, pretty cliché, which is okay - it's supposed to be a legend retold times over, even though readers are expected to hold it for truth. Mysterious religious and mythical characters can have a bit of leeway. Coupled with the right tone and pacing, this all could've made a solid backstory. But no, that's not what happened.
The first half or so of the special was great - I wasn't convinced that a Western with a murderer turning into the Angel of Death was going to work out, but I was quickly shown that this premise has potential. Then things started turning south - both for our main hero and myself as the reader.
I loved the portrayal of the Devil and the Angel of Death. The Devil in Preacher is how I imagine Hellboy if he were evil - bored in hell, frustrated at losing a poker game, making banter. Contrary to Hellboy, however, our Devil is perhaps not very bright and, for some reason, VERY easily killable.
I could buy that a guy angry about his family's death could have been so mad that he made hell freeze over seemingly for the first time ever - even though before him millions must have had their families die, and at least one of them must have been almost/just as murderous if not more. What I don't buy is the devil then getting upset and talking and behaving like a frustrated child. Furthermore, our dear Lord Satan is then killed by the annoyed/insulted murderer. With a pistol. For good (as it's implied). Mind you, this is the same pistol with magical never-ending bullets that was fired into Cassidy in an earlier issue. Our friendly neighborhood vampire is alive and completely regenerated, so go figure - the Devil can't do something a 97y.o. vampire does in no time at all.
I understand that humour often compliments dark fantasies, and perhaps this contrast of violent and unfair earth vs. the silly scared rulers of hell is meant to highlight the brutality of the Saint of the Killers, but it only achieves in making the story seem flimsy and awkward. Disappointing.